Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-05-28
O,Brien.

The experience of the Irish agitator
O'Brien in America has been anything
but pleasant, and attended with a degree
of danger at which men Of less courage
would doubtless have faltered. His
narrow escape from a serious fate at the
hands of an Infatuated mob at Toronto
would have had the effect Of cooling the
ardor of less determined champions of
the Irish cause. He however remains
true to the cause, and Notwithstanding
his weak physical condition, resulting
from injuries received at the hands Of
his enemies, he insists upon continuing
q course, which to say the least. is GER
tainly fraught with much peril. His
late experience at Hamilton, outlined
in the following dispatch, will serve to
indicate the extreme bitterness Of the
Orangemen as manifested on that &C.
casion
Hamilton, Ont, May 23.-O'Brien met
with a reception here which threw
everything that has occurred up to the
present time in the shade. AS he was
helped out Of the car his eyes rested
upon a vast body of stalwart men pack
ed 80 closely together that a passage
could not be made for some minutes.
In vain did Kilbride and other friends
beseech the thronging thousands to
make way and stop shaking hands with
OBrien. Thunderous cheers and cheers
louder and louder went up, and the
crowd, waving sticks over their heads,
pressed in upon OBrien until he was
forced to interpose an objection. After
having his arm nearly shaken off,
OBrien managed to reach a carriage in
waiting for him. Presently a squadron
Of women overpowered the men, and
another demonstration followed. Fin
ally the procession of carriages moved
and proceeded to the Royal hotel, salut-
ed with cheers along the whole route.
A meeting was held at 3 o'clock in the
Palace rink, about half a mile from the
hotel rink, which is capable of holding
1000 people, and which was filed.
O'Brien begged the indulgence of his
audience On account OF his condition
and proceeded to speak with such force
at he had, covering in the main the
same ground which he has heretofore
covered in his speeches. After O'Brien
sat down the chairman read q cable
gram Of sympathy from his colleagues in
parliament.
Several Englishmen and one Orange.
men made speeches, after which a reso-
luton c~ondemning Lansdowne was pass
ed. While Kilbride was speaking
OBrien left the platform in response to
q request made to him by a man who
had appeared from the rear. 1t was the
idea of some o%ficious person to save
OBrien from annoyance. The plan was
to leave the rink by a narrow allev,
jump into a carriage in waiting on Nc
Nab street and drive to the hotel. Ii
was the first time during the tour
OBrien did not go out the regular way,
and the plan well nigh cost him his life.
In the covered carriage besides O'Brien
were Mcmahon and Roche, OF the local
branch of the national league, and Dem
mis- Kilbride. On the drivers seat was
John Nelson and r. =. O'Brien. AS the
carriage faced about for the hotel a
hostile crowd suddenly appeared. There
was a report, the reigns dropped ont of
John Nelson's hands and with the ex-
clamation, "Oh, my God! Pm shot!' he
fell forward on the seat. Eight more
shots were fired without doing harm,
when L. p. OBrien succeeded in secur-
ing the reins and dashed the horses
through the crowd to the hotel. Here
was another hostile crowd, who hooted
and shouted. Mcmahon held the crowd
Mt bay with a drawn revolver, while
VIM. O'Brien and his friend made their
way into the hotel followed by a volley
of rotten eggs. The chief Of police and
his men rushed up after all was
over Nelson's wound is in the left
wrist and the doctor considered it dang
erous No arrests wers made. MANY
express the opinion that the would-be
assassins came from Toronto, but no
evidence is offered in proof Of this. AS
this dispatch Is being written there is a
great deal Of excitement in the street.
O'Brien returns to Niagara to morrow
and goes to Montreal Thursday.